Discussion

Prosciutto di Parma How long wiil it last?

My husband just scored a whole boneless Prosciutto di Parma that had been stored for about four months in a refrigerator. He has trimmed the outside by 1\4 inch or so. It has as a distinct aroma and a soft chewy slightly salt\sweet taste. My question, how long can you store it and still be good or will we be dead in the morning?

What the hell will you do with all that prosciutto? (besides give some to me). Don't they hang those things for ages and ages?

If you need a recipe, besides the usual suspects, I was taught to make a dense meat ragu with ground prosciutto instead of ground veal/pork. It grinds surprisingly easily, and the sauce isn't at all salty. Yum.

I don't think it will ever spoil, but it will lose moisture and become more salty as it ages. But why did you trim it? The outer layer is a protective barrier. It prevents too much moisture loss, and any mold that forms can be gently wiped or scrubbed off. I am not sure what will happen with it having been cut off, but I don't think it will enhance the aging potential.

Thanks so much for the response. My husband said it was a little to sticky and we wanted to vac-pack it to keep the air out. We didn't know about washing the rind. There is still a thick layer of fat an we had to cut it up in manageable pieces. It's still very moist and not very salty. I think it has aged nicely.